Runners, like Yasmine King of Needham, are taking advantage of Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s free runners’ injury screenings.

King said she first heard of Newton-Wellesley’s Pre-Marathon Clinics through the Needham Running Club. Because spots filled up fast last year, King said, she called the same day she got an email notice to reserve an appointment.

During the summers, King is an avid triathlon runner, but during the year, she trains to run in a half marathon. However, as she starts to run longer distances, she said, she gets foot pains.

So, on Monday, Feb. 12, King went to her first Pre-Marathon Clinic to "figure out if there’s something I could do differently to prevent that foot pain at the end of the season."

And it was great, she exclaimed. "I loved it and I was amazed at the quality of feedback."

King said, "[The physical therapist] helped identify which muscles needed strengthening – my hips and glutes. She also said I had tightness in my calves and hip flexors, and less flexibility in my right foot, which is where the pain is."

She said the physical therapist recommended she go to a running store for new shoes and to consider orthotics "because she thought I had flat arches."

King’s priority now is to stretch daily and to work on strength training as recommended by the physical therapist. "She also gave me workouts to do at home and none of them require equipment," said King.

Over the past 10 years, Newton-Wellesley, an official medical provider of the Boston Marathon, has been offering free Pre-Marathon Clinics as part of the hospital’s Running Strong series.

The Running Strong series consists of outreach programs held throughout the year to help athletes avoid injury and maximize performance.

The series also includes Post-Marathon Clinics, which are scheduled for April 17 and April 24 following the Boston Marathon on April 16.

At this time, runners who are training for the April marathon are increasing mileage, running roughly 15 to 16 miles, said Jaclyn Riedel, a physical therapist at Newton-Wellesley.

This is Riedel’s first year coordinating the Pre-Marathon Clinics. As a physical therapist, she has also conducted injury screenings for the last three years.